The Trump administration is facing allegations of an “authoritarian assault” following visa sanctions imposed on five Europeans, including a former Labour adviser. Imran Ahmed, an associate of Morgan McSweeney, a top aide to Keir Starmer in the UK government, was one of those targeted by the US for his involvement with the Centre of Countering Digital Hate (CDHC). Ahmed, a former Labour Party adviser from Manchester, serves as the CEO of CDHC, which previously had McSweeney as a director before his resignation upon Starmer assuming leadership of the Labour Party in April 2020.
US Under-Secretary of State Sarah Rodgers accused CDHC of advocating for expanded censorship in Europe and globally. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, named Ahmed and four other Europeans as leaders in efforts to pressure American platforms to suppress opposing viewpoints. Rubio stated that these individuals would generally be prohibited from entering the United States and could face deportation under certain circumstances.
Ahmed revealed that the inception of CDHC occurred during his tenure as an adviser to Labour MP Hilary Benn when he witnessed a surge in antisemitism within the UK left and the tragic murder of his colleague Jo Cox MP by a white supremacist. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is to safeguard human rights and civil liberties online by holding social media companies accountable for enabling the proliferation of online hate and disinformation.
Clare Melford, who heads the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) based in the UK, was also among the Europeans targeted for visa sanctions by the US. A GDI spokesperson condemned the Trump administration’s actions as an assault on free speech and government censorship, criticizing the use of state power to silence dissenting voices.
Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrats Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, called on the UK government to defend its citizens against such sanctions rather than remaining silent. In response, a UK Government spokesperson emphasized the nation’s commitment to upholding free speech rights while supporting measures to combat harmful online content such as child abuse, incitement to violence, and dissemination of fake information.